Is Taib Mahmud digging a hole
which will bury himself with the most undemocratic, preposterous and
obnoxious bill to hamper, impede and obstruct the freedom of speech and
action of Opposition members in Sarawak State Assembly?

______________
Media
Statement by Lim Kit Siang
_________________

(Parliament, Monday) : Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri
Abdul Taib Mahmud sounded very brave last weekend when addressing
Sarawak Barisan Nasional (BN) backbenchers in Damai Resort in a seminar
with the most inappropriate topic, namely “The role of political
leaders: integrity and development”.

In the Star report headlined
“Taib: Use law to fight back”,
the Sarawak Chief Minister was quoted as telling Sarawak Barisan Nasional
State Assembly members: “Fight any smear campaign bravely.”

This has reminded everyone of Taib’s 48-hour
ultimatum to Malaysiakini to remove several articles concerning
accusations of corruption allegedly linked to him and his family after the
Japan Times report implicating Taib in a scandal involving RM32 million in kickbackspaid by Japanese shipping companies for timber from the resource-rich
state.

Seventeen days have passed
since the expiry of Taib’s 48-hour ultimatum to Malaysiakini to remove the
“offensive” articles or he would institute legal proceedings to clear his
name and reputation.

Why hasn’t Taib instituted
legal proceedings yet?

In his speech last week, Taib
told Sarawak BN backbenchers:

“Don’t fear. We have to fight
it out.

“I will show you how we can
protect ourselves through the legal system.”

Everyone thought Taib was
reassuring Sarawak BN backbenchers that he would be instituting legal
proceedings against Malaysiakini and others to clear his name when he spoke
about using the legal system to “fight back” but everyone was wrong.

It is now clear that what Taib
meant was the misuse and abuse of the tyranny of the BN majority in the
Sarawak State Assembly to enact laws to hamper, impede and obstruct the
freedom of speech and action of Opposition representatives in the Sarawak
State Assembly.

New Sunday Times yesterday
under its story “Throwing a dare in the House will land you a fine”
reported a new bill, Dewan Undangan Negeri (Privileges and Powers)
Bill 2007 which will be tabled in the Sarawak State Assembly in its meeting
from May 14-23.

Under the Bill, a member of
the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly will be fined up to RM2,000 on the
spot if he challenges another member to a fight or issues a threatening
letter while the assembly is in session.

If the member
does not pay the fine immediately, he or she will be sent to prison until
the fine is paid or until the state assembly is dissolved.

A member will also be fined if he or she creates or joins in any disturbance
inside the House or in its vicinity where any proceedings are or are likely
to be interrupted.

The Bill also creates other offences, including:

• assaulting, obstructing or
insulting any member coming to or going from the House or on account of his
conduct in the assembly or endeavouring to compel any member by force,
insult, or menace to declare himself in favour of or against any
proposition;

• tampering with, deterring, threatening, beguiling, or in any way unduly
influencing any witness in regard to evidence to be given by him before the
House or any committee;

• presenting to the House or to any committee any false, untrue, fabricated
or falsified document with intent to deceive the House or any committee;

• the publication of any false or scandalous libel on any member touching on
his conduct as a member; and

• the publication of any report of a committee of the House or of any
evidence given or any document presented to such committee or extracts from
such documents, before such committee has presented its report to the House.The bill also seeks to
give power to the speaker of the state legislative assembly to order the
arrest of any person for causing disturbance during the sitting of the
House.

The person, after being arrested, might be sent to jail according to the
tenor of the warrant.

These new proposals to
hamper, obstruct and impede the freedom of speech and action of Sarawak
State Assembly members are most undemocratic, preposterous and obnoxious,
demonstrating the fear of the Sarawak Chief Minister and the State Cabinet
in being engaged by the six DAP State Assembly members in the Sarawak State
Assembly in a open and no-holds-barred debate in the past year.

Clearly, Taib wants to use the
brute majority of the Sarawak BN in the State Assembly to enact laws with
punitive sanctions including jail sentences to silence the Opposition.

What Taib is proposing in the
new bill is a major step backwards for the development of parliamentary
democracy and makes a total mockery of the country’s claim that it is
committed to the system of parliamentary democracy, particularly when the
country is celebrating its 50th Merdeka anniversary which
coincides with the 43rd Malaysia Day marking Sarawak and Sabah’s
entry and creation of the Malaysian federation.

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri
Abdullah Ahmad Badawi should advise the Sarawak Chief Minister to drop the
ludicrous bill to hamper, impede and obstruct freedom of speech and action
of State Assembly representatives, as it will make Malaysia a laughing stock
in the world with regard to our retrograde parliamentary practices.

Alternatively, Taib Mahmud
should agree to refer the Bill to an all-party Select Committee of the
State Assembly, which could hold public hearings and consultations to seek
public views and inputs.

I am attracted by another
provision in the new bill, which seeks to compel any member to disclose his
direct pecuniary interests before he takes part in any discussion in the
House or any of its committees. He faces a fine of RM2,000 if he fails to
disclose his interests and if the fine is not paid immediately, he will be
sent to jail until it is settled.

Is Taib Mahmud digging a hole to bury himself, for he and his family have
such extensive interests in business and economic interests in the state
that he would have to first reveal his pecuniary interests not only every
time he speaks, but probably a dozen times in a major speech, if he is to
comply with this new rule.

Will Taib be fined or sent to
prison if he fails to disclose his pecuniary interests when he takes part in
any discussion in the State Assembly or its committees?